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UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers dives forward as he is pushed down by Hawaii’s Jalen Smith, right, and Dion Washington during the Bruins’ 16-13 season-opening win Saturday. (Darryl Oumi / Getty Images)
Milling about outside UCLA’s locker room, sweat trickling from his forehead after a scorching afternoon in the Hawaiian sun, Martin Jarmond stopped briefly near a group of reporters to put an upbeat spin on a stickier-than-expected victory.
“Do you know what the best part of being 1-0 is?” the Bruins athletic director asked. “It gives you a chance to be 2-0.”
Indeed it does. But this team will have to play significantly better than it did in coach DeShaun Foster’s debut to get there.
Read more: UCLA avoids disaster, rallying past Hawaii in DeShaun Foster’s coaching debut
There were breakdowns across the board as the Bruins eked out a 16-13 victory over Hawaii that left their fans going eek! Quarterback Ethan Garbers played more like a freshman than a redshirt senior in the first half. The run game ran a rocket-fueled reverse from seasons past. Foster and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy made some extremely cautious decisions as part of their game management.
It’s true that other teams — yes, we’re looking at you, Oregon — also struggled in their openers against supposedly inferior opponents and are not abandoning hopes for a special season, but let’s just say UCLA’s bye week is coming at the right time for a team with so many fixes to make.
Here are five takeaways from the Bruins’ opener:
A conservative ticket?
It didn’t take long for Foster and Bieniemy to reveal their level of aggressiveness.
On UCLA’s first drive, the Bruins picked up one first down and punted while facing fourth and five at Hawaii’s 44-yard line. Foster seemed confused when asked about his decision after the game, saying,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucla-vs-hawaii-takeaways-whats-120038490.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-09-02 12:00:38
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